Member

knowing that lots of new starters come here for advice and tips I thought I'd ask what your first pole was?

I only started last month so its nice and fresh for me. I needed something cheap and something big so that I didn't have to refuse a job for the sake of one reasonably easy to reach window, so I opted for a Brodex 31ft Hydra. Brodex seem to have a decent reputation and the price was bang on for what I wanted to spend. I'd got a good length pole for a good price and having collected it myself it came fully assembled and ready to use (I don't know if this would be standard if it got delivered out though).

This pole feels like it is indestructible but its far heavier than is ideal. Because this was my only pole I would have to use it for every window, but 31 feet of ally is a ball ache on ground floor windows!!!

Anyhoo, due diligence on my first round purchase showed up a good number of customers who were more than two months overdue, refusing to pay for these meant I was going home with an extra £400 in my pocket. I decided that I would invest some of this in getting the 2nd pole earlier than I had anticipated. So I went for the Gardiner CLX22 with a carbon 10" gooseneck. Wow, what a difference! so light and no effort whatsoever to clean any of my windows. I've spent 3 weeks doing my own windows every day whilst I fiddle about with my kit, but this time around I was doing them because I wanted to, it really is a pleasure to work with compared to the heavier Hydra.

I can't knock the Hydra because I knew I was getting a pole nearly twice as long as I needed for bread and butter windows, and I chose the heavier construction to save money but I now don't look forward to those odd occasions when I will have to use it!

Member

well i,m all set for next week starting. CLX 18 is the pole i,m using
had problem with the controller yesterday but sorted
been practicing yesterday all finger and thumbs to be honest, water every where but first go.
will be needing bigger pole also was thinking of 30